The road called “life.”

I’ve been thinking a LOT about life the last few days.

It never gets easier, does it? I used to think that I’d get to a point along the road of life when things would settle down, ease up, fall in to place. I’ve come to the realization that this kind of expectation is elusive. . .AND that it really doesn’t matter. The very second I let go of any and all expectation about what life should be (what I deserved it to be), the MOMENT I faced life with complete acceptance, no matter the circumstances, EVERYTHING changed for the better. It’s amazing what a small dose of humility and acceptance can do for a soul. Remarkable really. I am a happier human being (infinitely so), I am filled with an overwhelming sense of confidence and optimism for the future, and my heart is utterly at peace–all from simply accepting what is without anger, without offense, without regret, and then continuing to move forward in gratitude and faith. Ultimately it’s not about where you’ve been, or even where you currently are, life is about where you’re actively headed.

Lean in and enjoy the ride.

Now. . .

Funnies just for fun:

1. I recently decided that it was a good idea to iron the fly of my pants. . . while they were still on my body. This was, in fact, NOT a good idea. Not.at.all.

2. Lincoln has decided that his favorite word is “Sexy,” pronounced “Saaaaaxssssy.” Don’t worry, hearing him sing it to himself EVERY.WHERE.WE.GO isn’t at all embarrassing.

3. This morning, Cardon decided that he was going to stay under the kitchen table until we let him wear his pajamas underneath his school uniform. He outlasted me and went to school looking like a homeless marshmallow.

4. Christmas shopping is fun, aside from the fact that I get all teary eyed whenever I pass something that would be the perfect gift for a 2 year old boy. Oy.

5. The peppermint milkshake at Chick-fil-a is the second best thing that ever happened to Christmas.

aaaaand. . .

The Weekly Digest:

Because I want to jump up and down. . . and throw some dirt.
Curly Girl: the curly girl’s Bible.
The Higgins Family!
The Breathe Intensive | Las Vegas.

Have a beautiful weekend!

August marks the beginning of the back-to-school season, which is a time of anticipation and excitement as students look forward to embarking on the journey of a new scholastic year.

For parents, this time can be extremely stressful if they haven’t prepared financially for back-to-school shopping. 2020 will put an additional twist on this already stressful time for parents, as the uncertainty looms for this upcoming school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents now will have to purchase the necessary sanitizing and safety items to keep their children safe, and for those students who will begin the school year learning remotely, parents will be in the market for laptops and other required technology.

According to the National Retail Federation, parents will spend significantly more money during this year’s back-to-school shopping season than in previous years.

Here are some tips that can help parents make this costly Fall 2020 back-to-school season as well as in the years to follow a little bit more manageable.

  • Total Up Everything You Need- This will give you an idea of all the items, supplies and clothing that you will need for the upcoming school year. You can then develop a reasonable spending limit. Check out these domtar cougar paper deals.
  • Set a Reasonable Spending Limit– Create a spending limit you’re comfortable with that also covers the basics. Keep in mind that the 2020-2021 school year will require items that weren’t previously needed for back-to-school shopping due to the pandemic and remote learning.
  • Putting off Certain Expenses-You don’t always have to buy everything in time for the first day. If your children are starting school at home distance learning, they may not need new clothes right away, that gives you additional time to save more money for when it is time to buy new clothes for the children.
  • Practicing Smart Shopping Methods– Some common smart shopping tactics include; buying generic when possible and socially acceptable, comparing prices, discount shopping at thrift stores or the dollar store for school supplies, buying supplies in bulk at warehouse stores and using coupons and rebate sites. Also, most major retailers will have big back to school sales and most states have “no-tax” week during the fall back-to-school season. Take advantage of those sales.

click here to open post Dec 01, 2011 | posted in weekly digest | 3 comments

Going to the Gym Without Eating First?

Here’s a new incentive: Eat protein before you go and you can peel off 15 pounds a year. A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport showed that women who ate a high-protein meal an hour before their workout burned more calories per minute than women who ate a low-protein meal or no food. The additional calorie burn amounted to 185 calories over the following 24 hours and could add up to a 15-pound loss within a year.

Add Green Tomatoes to Your Salads

Green tomatoes contain tomatidine, a compound that stimulates muscle growth. Research shows it produces increased strength and endurance, and it prevents muscle loss as it reduces body fat. The adage eat the colors of the rainbow has never been more apt (especially during the holidays!). Check out the latest metabofix reviews.

HIIT It!

Trade in your long, slow cardio for a few high-intensity sessions a couple of times a week for more effective fat loss. High-intensity aerobic training is more effective at reducing belly fat and overall body fat than any other type of exercise. Women who cycled (on stationary bicycles) three times a week for 20 minutes, doing workouts consisting of eight-second sprints followed by 12 seconds of low-intensity work, lost more fat (2.5 kilograms) than women who cycled for 40 minutes at a steady state.

Spice Up Meals

Add red pepper to meals to kick up fat burning. Capsaicin, which gives hot peppers their zing, can cause a small, temporary increase in metabolism, says Amy Goodson, RD, CSCS, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics and co-author of Swim, Bike, Run — Eat (Fair Winds Press, 2014). “Keep in mind it would take quite a bit of spice to have any major effect on weight, but every little bit helps!” Take a look to the latest visishield information.

Focus On Muscle Strength

As women tend to have more ACL injuries than men — three times in fact — it’s crucial to keep the muscles around the knee strong. Most ACL injuries occur in activities with sudden deceleration, jumping and uncontrolled landings like in skiing, soccer and basketball. That’s when hamstring strength becomes key. Though not conclusive, researchers suspect women’s “Q angle,” where the femur and tibia meet (larger than men’s), may create extra torque on the knee. Check out the latest exipure reviews.

Eat Smart to Recover

It’s also important to continue eating a balanced diet to help your body heal. “The body needs a lot more calories to function daily than to exercise,” says Nancy Clark, MS, RD, CSSD, a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics. “During injury, women need to trust their bodies, which can intuitively adjust calorie need — they just need to listen.” She explains that we need about 10 calories for every pound of bodyweight to function. So a 140-pound woman needs 1,400 calories per day just to live healthy, take a look to these Keto strong reviews.

Clark recommends eating adequate protein to live healthy and heal when injured. She suggests that a 140-pound woman get 70 to 90 grams of protein per day in small, equal increments. “I tell clients to think of daily eating in four buckets — breakfast, early lunch, late lunch and dinner, and in each of those buckets goes about 20 grams of protein,” she says.

Good sources of protein include Greek yogurt (calcium bonus), salmon (fish oil fights inflammation), hummus, lean meat, chicken and tofu. She points out that a container of tofu is only equal to one chicken breast, which is a lot of tofu. Clark suggests adding cheese to kick up protein and using turmeric, ginger, cocoa, garlic and green tea for their natural anti-inflammatory compounds, while vitamin C (in citrus, kale and red bell peppers) and zinc (in seafood, beef and nuts) are also helpful healers. Visit exipure site for more information about healthy supplements.